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Beit Midrash
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- Igrot Hare’aya
Recipient: Shaul Chona Kook, Rav Kook’s younger brother (by approximately 14 years; he was 18 at the time). R. Shaul Chona made aliya as a young adult and was a scholarly (in Jewish studies) businessman who lived in Tel Aviv and was active in municipal affairs and in the Mizrachi religious Zionist movement.
Greeting: Peace and blessing, guarded and set out before my dear and beloved brother, the excellent young man, sharp, learned, and charming, Master Shaul Chona HaKohen shlita. May Hashem bless you and grant you success in all of your undertakings. May your heart be widened by His Torah. May you and those who assist you be blessed with abundant peace.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
4 - A Smaller Shas
5 - Advice from an Older Brother
6 - The Aderet’s Disputed Rabbinic Move
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The name and recollection of the city (a majority of whose population was Jewish in those days) is engraved in my heart in a loving manner from the fresh time of my childhood. It is the place in which I made my first steps with the comradery of holy people, as it is a place full of wise scholars, with sharp minds and extensive Torah knowledge, fearers of Hashem and those who respect His Name (Malachi 3:16). Being around such people widened my heart and also caused me to have a head start in developing the skills of my childhood, with Hashem’s help.
You, my beloved brother, are living there. Certainly you are only making your company with those who are G-d-fearing and bring respect to His Name, who dedicate their lives to His Torah and awe of Him, the people who are great and dear, the gems of the wise men of the city, may Hashem protect them.
Learn to make many acquisitions in the realm of wisdom, to learn sources, understand them, and review what you have learned with desire and love. Acquire mastery of the gemara with Tosafot’s commentary in order, treating the main thing as the main thing and the less important as less important. I have never seen a truly significant talmid chacham whose main focus was not on gemara and Rishonim, learning and reviewing literally according to the order of the gemara, especially at the earlier stages of life. Please forgive me, my beloved brother – it is possible that you do not need these urgings. It is just that I remember that I did need them when I was younger. My heart felt that I had to share these things as I was conversing with you.
Praises to Hashem, all is good with us. May Hashem allow to have blessings in the future as well, and even increase His kindness toward and mercy upon us. I am expecting that your letters will now come on a regular basis, so that you can share all that is good with you, and "there is nothing good but Torah" (Avot 6:3). Hashem should strengthen you to spend all your time by the doorways of His Torah, and you shall strengthen yourself and be a successful man with a good name and with a standing of glory. These are the prayers and hope of your brother, with a love of the spirit, who looks forward to your success. So shall it be His will.
The letter continues with a request to send regards to two friends of Rav Kook, apparently from his Smorgon days, and an intricate halachic discourse.
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part I
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael
#222 Date and Place: 2 Elul 5669 (1909), Rechovot
P'ninat Mishpat Payment for Not Clearing Warehouse On Time – part II
based on ruling 75076 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Connecting Disciplines in Torah Study
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook #103 – part II
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part III
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Alternatives to Gymnasium and Grafted Etrogim – #286
Date and Place: 18 Adar II, 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part I
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Date and Place: 11 Shevat 5670, Yafo
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
